


Bury my heart somewhere you can't find it

by the_midnight_hour



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, University, arts university, fine art au, getting emotionally healthy, group work, imposter syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:20:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28770741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_midnight_hour/pseuds/the_midnight_hour
Summary: Victor is the new kid. He's confident. He’s loud.He’s good.Yuuri needs to be betterArts university Au where Yuuri has a desperate need to be the best from his anxiety and Victor is the new kid who is effortlessly perfect. When they're assigned together in a group curating project will Yuuri see past his competitive streak or will they burn everything around them?
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri & Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin & Yuri Plisetsky, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky, Phichit Chulanont/Christophe Giacometti
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Bury my heart somewhere you can't find it

Yuuri had a bit of a reputation on his fine art course as being the person who generally knew what was going on and was doing well. In a sense, Yuuri knew that this reputation was generally accurate. In another sense, he was spurred on by pure panic and an acute awareness of his own shortcomings. Yuuri pushed, and pushed, and pushed, so that no one else would realise how insufferably mediocre he could be. 

Which brings Yuuri to now, settling into his student house he shares with Phichit and two of Phichits flatmates from freshers; Yuri Plisetsky and Otabek Altin. As Yuuri is unpacking his room, he vaguely thinks he hears yelling from the kitchen downstairs. He should probably be more concerned, but after spending much of first year in Phichit’s flat, he’s been expecting this. He spent a lot of summer psyching himself for being yelled at for pretty much anything. Not that Yuuri really minds; he’s seen Yuri’s art, so he knows Yuri isn’t really mad per se. 

Don’t get Yuuri wrong, the blond’s paintings are huge, expressive, and easily brushed off as angry. But, closer inspection shows a careful consideration, a vulnerability, a knowledge that this brashness means one false move will ruin everything. And that’s a frightening thought. So, Yuuri concludes, Yuri isn’t really angry, just a bit fucked.

And, to be fair, they’re on a fine art course. Most of them are fucked in one way or another. 

His musings are cut off by the sound of Phichit’s laughter, loud and free, quickly overpowering Yuri’s shouting with mindless teasing. Despite himself, Yuuri allows himself a smile. He’s been looking forward to this year, to flatmates he doesn’t hate, and more opportunities to push himself into the art world. He just needs to keep up this precedent he set himself first year. He just has to keep doing exceptionally, almost comically well. Somehow. 

……….

Like all exceptionally well thought out plans, this one quickly becomes complicated.

What Yuuri hadn’t anticipated was the new kid. Well, new to his year. Phichit quickly found out that the tall, gorgeous, blue-eyed and silver-haired man had been in the year above but had taken a year out. No one was sure why, but most people assumed backpacking of some kind. It’s not uncommon, and really shouldn’t have been a big deal, but there's only 80 people on his course. Everyone knows everyone, so a new kid is already vaguely interesting, but...this new kid Yuuri can’t seem to look away from.

Yuuri stands next to his flatmates outside the lecture hall as they wait for the photography students to finish up, trying to not make it so obvious that he’s staring. Victor, as Yuuri quickly hears is his name, has immediately slotted next to Chris. Figures, really, his lot are what you expect from an arts university: confident, attractive, hard-core party animals. Once utterly intimidating to him, but now a comfortable and dependable part of the scene Yuuri is frantically pushing himself into. Victor fits right in, he looks relaxed as he makes easy conversation across the room. Lord knows he’s attractive enough for the clique. 

“.....Yuuri?”

Ah, shit. Yuuri turns his gaze back to Phichit, who’s grinning up at him.

“Stop staring, Pig, you’re being weird.”

“No! Keep staring. Try get his attention!”

“I’m not going to do that, Phi.”

“Fine, then I’ll get his attention.” Phichit moves as if to shout at Victor, but before he can the photography students start to file out. ‘Cheers, universe,’ Yuuri thinks. There was no need to bother someone mid conversation just because Phichit is reading too much into Yuuri’s wandering eyes.

Second year Fine Art files into the main lecture hall once the last of some-or-other-year photography have made it out. The quadruplet make their way back to their usual seats, mid way up, all the way to the left. The perfect position; close enough to the podium to pay attention but far enough back to also nap, and with easy exit access. Victor, Chris and them are a few rows back and more central, Yuuri notes as he takes out his notepad.

“Hello everyone, my name is Celestino and I’m head of second year. This isn’t going to be any theory, today we’re just going over the outline of the year and then the timetable for this first unit. From here on out grades will count towards your final mark, so make sure you’re paying attention and making full use of resources. Let’s get started…”

Yuuri is frantically noting down everything Celestino says. From the corner of his eye, Yuuri can tell Victor writes down nothing. Instead, he watches, vague interest in his eyes and his head reading on one of his hands. Mostly, he makes comments under his breath with Chris, who snorts out a laugh every now and again. Alright then, not someone taking any of this seriously. That’s fine, Yuuri can keep doing his thing then without any major changes to his brilliant just-be-good-bruh plan.

“Next lecture we’ll take a look at art institutions. What should the role of a museum be? Read Bourdieu’s text ‘Cultural Works and Cultivated Disposition’ and take some notes in preparation. Alright, thanks guys, I’ll see you next time.” 

The lecture hall fills with the sounds of shuffling as people start to gather themselves and file out. Before the four can make their exit, however-  
“Phichit! I see you there, you can’t hide from me.”

Phichit grins and turns on his heels in the direction of the voice. “Awh, Chris, I’d never hide from you!”

“And yet you were busy all summer, you wound me.” Chris is making his way over, which has Yuri muttering expletives under his breath. Victor is following, eyebrow raised but seemingly amused by the display before them. As they reach the group, Chris reaches out, dramatically taking Phichit’s hands.

“I could be persuaded to forgive you. You heading back to your’s? Need company?”

“Fuck off Chris, you’re not allowed in my house.”

“Yurio! You wound me.”

“That’s not my _fucking_ name! I’m out.” With that, he spins on his heels and storms out, Otabek following close behind.

“Awh, ignore him Chris, he’s still busy unpacking and doesn’t want you around his trash.”

“Still unpacking? How long have you been back?” and unfamiliar accent chimes in. It has a soothing, almost melodic quality that made Yuuri blush. Okay, new kid even sounds attractive. Yuuri can still handle this.

“A month! He’s just lazy. Plus he shares Beka’s room mostly so i guess it makes sense.” Victor nods at that. Up close like this, Yuuri is almost offended on Victor’s behalf for his generic description of the effortless charm the man has. He’s more than just gorgeous, his eyes look right into the heart whatever he’s looking at, he has a casual command of the area around him. Yuuri is well and truly intimidated. Victor must’ve sensed Yuuri’s gaze, as his own eyes flick over. Caught off guard, Yuuri blushes bright red and turns back to Phichit. Great first impression made there then - ‘Hi, I’m a random stranger, I’m going to stare at you and then ignore you when you look over!’ Just great.

“-anyway, we should probably get out of here. See you guys soon!” Phichit finishes whatever he’s been saying while Yuuri was telling himself off internally, and the pair finally turn and leave. Phichit is saying something, but Yuuri is only half paying attention. His mind keeps replaying the brief interaction, reminding him again and again and again how _fucking_ stupid he’d been and oh god he didn’t say anything during the whole conversation why did he do that he’s so fucking _weird_ -

“Yuuri! C’mon man I’m being interesting here, pay attention.”

Yuuri offers a weak smile. “Sorry Phi, I’m back in the room.”

…………………...

It would have been easier if the biggest flaw in his be-perfect-you-dumb-fuck plan was that he’d been slightly weird infront of an attractive guy. What made it worse was, well, everything else about the attractive guy.

“Good point there, Victor.” Celestino praises, as Victor makes yet another well phrased and well considered point about the inequalities in the art scene, and Yuuri wants to die.

Because Victor is good and now they’ll know Yuuri isn’t good, isn’t even okay, is succeeding on a pure fluke.

At least, that’s what Yuuri is obsessing over until he registers someone making a point Yuuri definitely doesn’t agree with, and he raises his hand.

“Yes, Yuuri?”

“It’s all very well and good to focus the argument around pressuring the big names to combat their inequality, and celebrating when they do the bare minimum, but these institutions are founded on and therefore will exacerbate ideals that are fundamentally elitist. Real difference would mean building a new institution, more similar to the artist driven exhibits seen lower in the hierarchy.”

“An interesting critique. Herein is one of the fundamental arguments in this issue. Victor here was discussing how we can open doors into established art spaces, while Yuuri is discussing making new spaces entirely.”

Oh, Yuuri had disagreed with Victor. Internally, Yuuri cringed. ‘Celestino was being nice accepting your rebuttal’, a part of him whispered. Victor is perfect in apparently every way; not just effortlessly gorgeous but apparently also effortlessly smart. But Yuuri needs this, lives and breathes his work. 

If he wants to keep up with what's expected of him now Victor is here, he’s going to have to try harder. If he felt like an imposter before now everything he’s not is relaxing in a chair a few feet away.

Yuuri takes a deep, shaky breath. If Victor is here now, Yuuri is just going to have to be better.

**Author's Note:**

> This is based of my current and last unit on my fine art course. Like, a lot, my course is 80 people and the whole uni is just art courses and small and I love it. so a lot of the art aspect im taking from actual discussions we've had. 
> 
> Also means as I'm living the uni life they're based in i have a lot of fuel for updating.
> 
> (join the art discord I moderate for @relatablecoffee on twitch https://discord.gg/4QJCUB7x )


End file.
